Český Krumlov – Fairytale city in Southern Bohemia!

Easter time is city trip time. Due to preparations for our wedding in May, we couldn’t plan a longer trip this year.

But what we made instead was a day trip from our beautiful hometown Regensburg to Český Krumlov.

We started in the morning and came back in the evening. In between we spent an amazing sunny Easter Sunday in Český Krumlov.

We kind of enjoyed our first sunburn of this year. We welcomed spring this way.

History

The city as well as the region of Bohemia have a very moving history.

The first time the castle of Český Krumlov was documented was in 1253. The following centuries it was under Bavarian and Austrian reign so the main language was German. The German name Krumau is still commonly used.

The current cityscape was shaped in the 15th century by the Bohemian nobility family of Rosenberg. The following centuries Český Krumlov was under the rule of different noble families.

What’s also still in everyone’s mind is the displacement of Germans from Bohemia after World War II.

UNESCO World Heritage at the Vltava River

Somehow Český Krumlov reminds us a little bit of Mostar. Cobblestone streets, bridges, a great Old Town and the location along the river.

The city is located along the Vltava River, the Old Town is on the right site of the Vltava, surrounded by it from three sides.

Krumlov means ‚crooked meadow‘. ‘Český’ means ‘Bohemian’ and became part of the city’s name in the 15th century.

The historic medieval Old Town became part of the UNESCO World Heritage in 1992. At least on sunny Easter days it’s very well visited. There are a lot of restaurants, cafés and little arts and crafts studios.

View from the Castle

Our round trip started with a short but steep walk up the castle. It was built in the 13th century and is the second largest castle in the Czech Republic. It belongs to the UNESCO Heritage as well.

The good thing about the Castle is its location offering an amazing view over the picturesque Old Town. It’s hard to stop staring at this fairytale place. The inner court of the castle is also really beautiful.

The palace garden is a little walk above the palace and we’re sure, it’s a feast for the eye in summer when everything blooms. This also applies to the huge fountain in the middle of the park.

Next to the mighty Mantel Bridge which spans the moat, we felt really tiny. Its current shape stems from the 18th century.

The Old Town of Český Krumlov

The centre of the Old Town is the Market Square with its cute colourful houses from medieval times and a Marian column from 1716. It was actually a Plague column and a protected cultural monument since 1988.

By incident a market took place here on Easter Sunday, where all kinds of arts and crafts and specialities were sold.

And it doesn’t matter in which alley you are: Almost all of them offer a great view to the majestic castle.

Egon Schiele Art Centre

Český Krumlov is the hometown of Egon Schiele’s mother, the Austrian painter. He lived here for a few years. His former house is a museum today, which shows Schiele’s art pieces, classic art and contemporary arts from the 20th century.

We don’t know if it’s worth seeing as the weather was too good to walk in a museum. But we took a glimpse at the inner court of the house and the area around the entrance with the museum shop. Oh my gosh, we’re philistines.

Outdoor sitting area at the Vltava

That was our favourite activity here. Sun, fresh air and great food and drinks at one of the many restaurants at the crooked meadow. This is where we got our first sunburn this year. We enjoyed greeting the coming summer like this.

If you’re in Český Krumlov, you have to eat Bohemian: Roast pork, dumplings, sauerkraut! The roast pork was delicious. The food and the low prices (at least for us Bavarians or Austrians) are reason enough to make a trip here.

The Lipno Dam

If you’re making the trip by car and you have a little bit of time, you should make a few photo stops at the beautiful barrier lake. In summer, you can swim here, but even with lower temperatures the region around the Lipno Dam is a feast for the eyes.

If you want to see Český Krumlov by night, you obviously have to spend a night here. But it’s also worth making a one day trip. For all those, who don’t live near Czech Republic: Český Krumlov isn’t described as the pearl of South Bohemia for nothing.